To the Editor:
I was an attendee and volunteer at Opera NOVA’s production of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” as described in as described in the article in The Connection: “A New Audience for a Beloved Tale,” a Nov. 19 article by Amber Healy. While the Saturday audience was composed of many school-age children, as Healy described, the opera singers and the eight-piece orchestra also had the pleasure to perform for our elderly and disabled community, such as members of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, on Nov. 22. Students of the Lutheran College Washington Semester, of which I am a part of, helped usher people to their seats, pass out programs, and provide refreshments to contribute to the friendly, lighthearted atmosphere carefully cultivated by Miriam Miller, the long-tenured president of Opera NOVA.
Once the performance began, the entire audience was captivated. The clever use of props (the 12-foot-long dragon was an instant hit), the Queen of the Night’s strong soprano voice (played by Callie Wohletz), and Papageno’s (played by Alex Alburqueque) silly antics helped condense a three-hour performance into an hour of fun for people of all ages and a superb primer for those first exploring opera. Opera NOVA spared no effort in its recruitment of extremely talented artists, and clearly adds to Arlington’s designation as “a world-class residential, business, and tourist location” by the Coalition for Smarter Growth. I recommend to all who are interested to attend their productions.